Music Theory Blog

Learn the language of music and its components in this music theory blog. Learn how to apply the theory to writing and performing music. Get the latest news and updates on music theory and creating popular music today.

In addition to music theory, we explore creating cover songs and how to use them in your live sets and on YouTube and Soundcloud. Learn about music business and how to grow your audience and expand your fanbase with cover songs.

Perhaps you can relate to the following situation: You’ve been working really hard to learn or write a new song. It’s taken many hours and lots of frustration and patience to work out what the right chords are. After putting all this…

Music theory is wonderful, exciting, and enormously useful. But for many musicians who received any kind of music theory education growing up, the experience is usually exactly the opposite. Music theory classes can feel one step removed…

https://i1.wp.com/hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1-31-17-7-Music-Theory-secrets-you-missed-as-a-kid.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=16281200Chelsea Irahttp://hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/HMTLogo-300x159.pngChelsea Ira2018-06-18 15:07:092018-07-09 19:25:22Discover the Music Theory Secrets You Missed as a Kid

Understanding the Songwriting Techniques Behind Hit Songs
Songwriting is often simultaneously one of the most magical and frustrating parts of being a musician. Sometimes, the best songs seem to appear in our heads without prompting and demand…

We have all looked with great trepidation into the proverbial blank canvas of songwriting, arranging, and/or composition from time to time. Sitting in front of a blank page, anything is possible - but with no lyric written and no notes played,…

So your band is finally in the studio. You’ve been working hard in rehearsals to create great songs and you know that your lyrics and melodies are strong. You finish your last rehearsal and feel like your band has a huge sound. You show…

Improvisation is the musical equivalent of having a conversation. It's therefore fundamental to being able to truly understand and play music at its best. However, for many of us, improvisation can be a very challenging and can often feel…

Writing a great chorus that sticks in your ear and makes you want to sing is a real challenge. It can often seem that finding the right melody, the right chords, the right arrangement, or whatever other parts amounts to pure inspirational…

https://i2.wp.com/hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/4-11-17-3-Ways-Music-Theory-Can-Help-You-Write-a-Great-Chorus.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=16281200Chelsea Irahttp://hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/HMTLogo-300x159.pngChelsea Ira2018-02-11 14:00:142018-07-09 19:29:213 Ways Music Theory Can Help You Write a Great Chorus

At first glance, it can feel like music theory is full of “rules.” Pick up any good theory textbook and you will find detailed descriptions of how to name, construct, and analyze scales, intervals, harmonies, chord progressions, compositional…

https://i0.wp.com/hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/4-4-17-3-times-breaking-music-theory-rules-worked-so-well.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=16281200Chelsea Irahttp://hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/HMTLogo-300x159.pngChelsea Ira2018-02-06 14:28:462018-07-09 19:28:493 Times Breaking Music Theory Rules Worked SO Well

There are many things that make a great session musician: a great attitude, quality gear, great tone, musicality, creative ideas and being reliable and early to sessions. For this post, however, I want to focus on three really important…

Learning and writing new music is often very time-consuming but there are ways you can speed up the process immensely to make the most out of your music practice time. They are not intuitive and can seem counterproductive at first, but…

https://i0.wp.com/hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2-15-17-Save-Time-when-writing-and-learning-music.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=16281200Chelsea Irahttp://hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/HMTLogo-300x159.pngChelsea Ira2017-11-15 19:20:252018-07-09 19:30:34Get More Done in Your Music Practice Time

Confidence building can be a real challenge for many musicians. There are so many great musicians out there, that seeing the value of your own work can be very challenging. Thankfully, there are ways to relatively quickly and effectively…

https://i0.wp.com/hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2-21-17-two-ways-to-become-a-more-confident-musician-with-music-theory.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=16281200Chelsea Irahttp://hitmusictheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/HMTLogo-300x159.pngChelsea Ira2017-10-21 14:49:002018-07-09 19:30:25Two Ways to Become a More Confident Musician Using Theory

There are some songs that just seem to be so well made that they appear to possess some magical quality or spirit that gives them life yet can’t quite be pinned down. In reality, much of what makes a song work has to do with the structure…